MESH wifi set ups

[TMB]

I am looking at setting up a MESH network in the house as an attempt to try and deal with some of the weak/dead spots in the house.

Problem is unless you are a network engineer you can read all the reviews and promo blurbs you want and eventually your eyes just glaze over.

Anyone here installed one of these setups? Pros/Cons? Any preferred brands, or more importantly, I guess, brands to stay far away from?

TIA.

[Too Tall]

Just did this, there is a thread. I went with eero because it is good enough, has a very decent app based menu system and purported to be drop-an-go.

I replaced my router and added 3 satellite units. It took about 15 mins. to turn the entire system up and has performed flawlessly since. I'm getting U/D speeds slightly in excess of what I'm paying for.

There are quite a few ways to go with this. I choose what was reviewed as least painful and most reliable.

[j44ke]

This thread goes current (2020) about 2/3rds the way down the page. Lots of suggestions there. Some of the set ups are plug and play. Very easy.

https://www.velocipedesalon.com/foru...ere-49559.html

What's the square footage and where are the problem spots?

Sometimes running some ethernet cable direct from the router to the problem area to hardwire in a mesh satellite (or even just another WIFI unit with the same name and passcode) is well worth the effort.

Also we've been successful using a Powerline adapter that runs the Internet through the electrical wiring of the house to a "dark spot" in our apartment. This one from TP-Link actually clones your WIFI set up to create a WIFI satellite that also allows ethernet connection. You run an ethernet cable from your router to the base unit and plug that unit into an outlet. Then you plug the satellite into an outlet in the problem area. Push a button on the base unit, then push a button on the satellite, and the two pair with each other over the electrical wiring in your house. Then the satellite broadcasts WIFI using the same network name, password and settings as your existing WIFI network. Plus desktop or laptop computers can plug directly into the satellite by ethernet cable. We've found both to be quick and stable. The satellite occasionally loses its connection (once a month?) but a quick unplug-wait-plug back in returns everything to normal.

[murphy]

What is your price point? I literally just recommended a system last week for an educator needing better coverage and signal strength for her apartment since her school is starting virtual next year. Personally I use an Orbi system.

[dashDustin]

Liking my eero setup. Install took longer than I expected, because I'm on ATT. My speeds as a whole are higher, but in the areas that were really pulling some fast U/D, I'm getting slower results. No issues, though...still able to stream HD movies without issues, but wifey can work in her office without lag, and the boys' connections are much more reliable, which will be important when school starts.

[davids]

Best Wi-Fi Mesh-Networking Kits 2020 | Reviews by Wirecutter

[nick k]

We just sorted this in our three story house now needing two home offices. I went with the Google WiFi Mesh system with two transceivers and the setup was easy and coverage has been great.

[COVRTDESIGN]

[TMB]

Thanks all, the house is three levels far corner on top floor gets basically no coverage, opposite corner on lower level (my wood shop) gets basically nothing - somewhere between 4500 and 5000 sq. Feet.

Reading all the reviews on Amazon and various reviews has me about to gouge my eyes out.

I am thinking 3 radios to ensure coverage was all set to go were then read more and thought maybe TP Link, or maybe Amazon ....

It turns into a circular mess where nothing actually gets done.

I think I will look at the every (again).

Thanks all.

[mowens]

Went with this a few weeks ago. ASUS - ZenWiFi AX Mini Dual-Band Mesh Wi-Fi System (3-pack)
Set up was very easy. Extended full strength signal from main floor to second floor office, basement bike set ups and driveway. Doubled signal strength to outside deck.
-Mike

[TMB]

Went with this a few weeks ago. ASUS - ZenWiFi AX Mini Dual-Band Mesh Wi-Fi System (3-pack)
Set up was very easy. Extended full strength signal from main floor to second floor office, basement bike set ups and driveway. Doubled signal strength to outside deck.
-Mike

I saw that one on Amazon and almost clicked the Buy it Now, I cannot remember now why I didn’t.

You are happy with it?

[mowens]

I saw that one on Amazon and almost clicked the Buy it Now, I cannot remember now why I didn’t.

You are happy with it?

I am very uninterested in tech so I am not a good judge of strengths and/or weaknesses. It has improved signal strength everywhere, was very easy to set up, has been stable, and I believe the larger system this "mini" system was based on got excellent reviews from tech sites. Previously, we were very happy with an earlier ASUS router.
-Mike

[smontanaro]

I've had the Google thing in my brick three-flat for a couple years. Like it just fine with one unit in the basement cabled up to the RCN cable modem, and the other two units on the upper floors. We have a long-term renter in the "garden" unit, and some longer-than-normal AirBnB peeps on the top floor. My wife and I are sandwiched in the middle. The people on the top floor are awaiting clearance to move to Singapore (he's a newly minted PhD in Economics with a teaching position there). At the moment I show 18 devices connected to either our main network (Ellen and I) or the "guest" network (everybody else). The system just runs. Far better than the olden days when a wi-fi router in the basement was the only way in/out.

[Too Tall]

Did you buy EERO yet?

[TMB]

Did you buy EERO yet?

Just now, literally.

How can I be so busy without ever leaving the homestead?

[Too Tall]

Just now, literally.

How can I be so busy without ever leaving the homestead?

My respect for your dignity in these trying times. LOL.

Listen, this is the easy stuff. When we talk about what tires to use for D2R2, that's when it gets real.

[Sbti]

So, my current ISP is the cable tv. The cable comes in the house through a cable modem then through an Apple Airport/Time Capsule. Probably pretty lame, huh? It's been fast enough with no dead spots in the house. But now it cuts out occasionally and I don't know why. And I have to putz around with resetting and power down/power up, etc. I suppose there's a problem with this "outdated" equipment, either the modem or the Apple. The cable company says there have been no outages in the neighborhood. Any tips for diagnosing this without having the cable company come in?

Now a competitor has put in fiber optic through the neighborhood. One offer is $70/month Gig internet powered by Eero. It looks the that is the router plus two radios. I assume I could eschew their equipment and buy my own, Eero or something else. I'll have to review the old thread and I'm obviously not up on the latest tech. So, the main Eero box is the modem/router in this kind of setup? No other boxes needed? And I assume the $70/ month teaser rate probably is good for just a year. Thanks!

[rec head]

I'm guessing that the ISP provided Eero will still connect to a modem. I have fiber and there is a small box that converts fiber to Ethernet ->the ISP's modem/router -> my own Eero.

[randonneur]

I recently switched ISPs and the modem/router which the new ISP provided has the crappiest wifi I've ever experienced. It was really bad during the school year when 3 people in the household were running concurrent video meetings, and connections were routinely dropped and we had to regularly reset the modem. I was using a range extender as well, but with the source modem/router itself being such a POS, it wasn't much help. Our house is long and narrow, with the cable coming in the house at one end, so connection over two stories was really spotty.

I'm cheap, and the prices of the eero and and other top-rated mesh systems had me puckering. I ended up picked up a refurb three-unit tp-link deco m5 off amazon for <$150. It's been great. Set up with their app was super easy, and since then our wifi has worked throughout the house has been flawless. Would recommend.

ETA: Re: connections - I'm still using the ISPs modem, but as a modem only. I've logged on to the unit and turned off all wifi capabilities, and the first deco unit is connected via ethernet cable. the other two are just plugged into an outlet and i guess use some backchannel stuff to talk to each other.

[j44ke]

Several times I have been recommended this Aris Surfboard modem (SB6183) for its continuous stability in areas of high interference, i.e. NYC. Modem recommendations are fairly esoteric, but the basic principle (as I understand it) is that you don't want it decreasing the connection speed direct from your ISP and you don't want it to be faster than you need as it tends to create instability. And you are better off having a modem w/o WIFI and just get a separately attached WIFI router to create your wireless network. WIFI standards change more frequently than modem standards, so better to have a solid modem you use for a while and separate WIFI for easier management and upgradability. I think that's how it goes.

Others here who know more actual facts about above can clean up the mess I undoubtedly made with my limited understanding.

edit: As per, I realize now this is not a high-speed ("gigabit" or 900mbps+) compatible modem. Slower connection speed and been out for a few years which is why I've been getting recommendations for a few years, so...